These Are the 10 Most Common Addictions in Utah

It’s estimated that around 20.5 million Americans suffer from an addiction of some kind. Residents of the state of Utah certainly aren’t exempt from this statistic, as approximately 15,000 Utahans check into addiction rehabilitation centers on a yearly basis.

The question is, what are these individuals addicted to? The truth of the matter is that Utahans are addicted to a number of different substances, all of which can be detrimental to one’s health and wellbeing.

Without further ado, here are the most common addictions in Utah.

Utah’s Most Common Addictions

When it comes to addictions, the state of Utah isn’t much different than the rest of the states in the US. Here are the top 10 most common addictions in the Beehive State.

1. Nicotine

While cigarette use has reduced substantially over the years, quite a few individuals still indulge. As a result, many of these individuals end up becoming addicted to nicotine, the habit-forming stimulant which exists within tobacco.

At the present time, it’s estimated that around 40 million Americans are addicted to nicotine. If we assume that each state contains approximately the same percentage of tobacco users, we can assume that Utah has around 390,000 residents who are addicted to nicotine.

2. Alcohol

Alcohol may be legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s not addictive. In fact, it’s one of the most addictive substances there is, causing addictions in over 18 million Americans. Cut to scale, this means that around 175,000 Utah residents are alcoholics.

In the short-term, alcohol addiction can cause impulsive behavior, depression, and alcohol poisoning. In the long-term, it can cause heart disease, cirrhosis, and a variety of other potentially fatal conditions. For this reason, if you suffer from alcohol addiction, you should think about checking yourself into a rehab facility.

3. Sex

Another one of the most common addictions in Utah is an addiction to sex. This presents itself in many forms, including addiction to pornography, addiction to masturbation, and addiction to physical sex, to name just a few. While all of these activities are considered to be healthy when performed in moderation, when performed to excess, they are considered to be an issue.

Currently, it’s estimated that approximately 12 million Americans suffer from sex addiction. Of these 12 million, around 116,000 are Utah residents.

4. Gambling

For some, the act of gambling has the same effect as addictive drugs. When it goes well, it provides an extreme high. When it goes poorly, however, it can have a drastically negative effect, resulting not only in financial loss but emotional turmoil as well.

As of right now, there are approximately 8.3 million gambling addicts living in the United States. Utah is home to around 80,000 of these addicts.

5. Marijuana

As marijuana has become commercialized, its stigma has begun to fade away. While there are positives that have come from the fading of this stigma, there are some negatives as well. Perhaps the biggest negative is that it has caused individuals to believe that marijuana can’t be addictive.

While it’s true that marijuana doesn’t contain an addictive chemical, many ingesters of the plant have developed behavioral addictions to it over the years. These addictions are characterized primarily by an inability to complete everyday tasks without first having consumed the plant. In essence, the lives of these addicts revolve around marijuana.

In the state of Utah, it’s estimated that around 40,000 residents are addicted to marijuana. This is an approximate subset of the 4 million cannabis addicts who exist nationwide.

6. Prescription Painkillers

Because they’re so liberally prescribed, prescription painkillers come with a high addiction rate. At the present time, it’s believed that there are around 2 million painkiller addicts in the United States. Of these 2 million, approximately 20,000 are Utahans.

This is one of the sneakiest addictions there is. Most painkiller addicts don’t start taking pain medications with addiction on their minds. The addiction just seems to happen, and then slowly takes over the addict’s life.

7. Cocaine

In the 1980s, cocaine addiction was something of an epidemic. However, while cocaine and crack cocaine are still being used today, they’re not nearly as popular as they once were. Approximately 1 million Americans (around 9,500 of which are Utahans) are currently addicted to the drug.

Cocaine addiction is dangerous in both the short-term and the long-run. In the short-term, it can cause cardiac arrest and extreme paranoia. In the long-run, it can cause brain damage, heart disease, and a number of other health conditions.

8. Heroin

While heroin use has always occurred, it seems to have skyrocketed in the last decade or so. Currently, around 425,000 Americans are addicted to heroin. Around 4,100 of these live in the state of Utah.

When compared to other addictions, heroin addiction is severe. Because heroin withdrawal is so extreme, many addicts find it exceedingly difficult to quit the drug. For this reason, heroin addicts often find that they must enroll in a rehabilitation program in order to kick their addiction.

9. Benzos

The next most common addiction in Utah is benzo or benzodiazepines addiction. Benzos include anti-anxiety medications such as Klonopin and Valium, to name just a few. Addiction to these medications occurs slowly, with the addict often not realizing he or she is addicted until he or she is deep into the addiction.

At the present time, approximately 400,000 Americans are addicted to benzos. Around 4,000 of these addicts reside in the state of Utah.

10. Stimulants

Another type of addiction that runs rampant in Utah is an addiction to stimulants. Stimulants include pills such as Adderall and Ritalin as well as street drugs such as methamphetamine. Highly addictive drugs, they build a tolerance quickly, meaning that addicts are constantly trying higher doses.

Currently, there are around 330,000 Americans with addictions to stimulants. Around 3,000 of these individuals reside in Utah.

Do You Suffer from an Addiction?

And there they are, the most common addictions in the state of Utah. Do you suffer from addiction in Utah? If so, Better Help Addiction Care can help.

Located in Salt Lake City, we are one of the state’s top rehabilitation centers. Offering treatment programs for a wide variety of substances, we provide both in-patient and out-patient services.